54 Peak of the Second Stage (1/2)
Shi clan, Shi Li's courtyard, afternoon.
After entering his courtyard, Shi Li told Moddy to head to another room so they wouldn't disturb each other when cultivating. Moddy nodded and gave Shi Li words of good luck before leaving.
Shi Li smiled back and wished Moddy good luck as well before heading towards the training area in his courtyard.
Once he went there, the damage he did to the area before was still visible. The multiple cracks on the ground became connected after quite some time and made it feel like the ground would crumble after one footstep. Not just that, a lot of trees in the surroundings were charred and burnt beyond recognition.
Shi Li didn't mind this and sat cross-legged on a piece of land that seemed to be stable. He then opened his storage and grabbed the three pills he received from the Logistics Hall.
”A Skin Compacting Pill, a Body Cleansing Pill, and a Bone Hardening Pill,” Shi Li muttered. ”If I remember correctly, I still have one Grade 0 cultivation pill to receive from the Logistics Hall. I'll just grab that tomorrow.”
”For now, let's focus on my cultivation. I've been stuck at the late stages of the Second Stage for over a week now. Back then, I was able to breeze through these substages like it was nothing. Is it because I don't cultivate my cultivation technique anymore?”
If anyone were to hear Shi Li's complaint, they would definitely cough blood and have the urge to slap him in the face. Passing through substages in just weeks is definitely an attribute of a monstrous genius!
”I have fully assimilated the first 30 moves of the [Triacontadigon Infinite Gavotte] in my mind and body...so that means I have two moves left to assimilate. Interface, how much mental energy do I still have?”
As if the interface was a dutiful servant, a screen answering Shi Li's question appeared in front of his face.
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Maximum mental energy capacity: 150%
Current mental energy amount: 138%
- Nonpareil Eye Interface
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”Hmm...I still have a lot of mental energy to access that special space, let me cultivate the last two moves there.”
”Special space, open.”
Whoosh!
A rift appeared just a few meters in front of Shi Li, revealing a space covered in fog and mist. This space wasn't just any normal space, it was a special space that had twice the density of world energy than the outside world!
Shi Li entered the rift and didn't forget to bring the pills with him as he closed the entrance behind him.
He sat cross-legged once more and decided to swallow the first pill he got, the Skin Compacting Pill.
Gulp!
Within seconds, Shi Li could feel a burning sensation that travelled from his heart towards the most external part of his body, the skin. At that point, Shi Li couldn't help but clench his teeth as he let out small grunts due to the amount of pain he was feeling.
Every skin cell in his body felt like it was being hammered by a large hammer multiple times every second. 'Does a Grade 0 cultivation pill really have this much energy?' Shi Li couldn't help but think.
For a few minutes, Shi Li endured the feeling of being a piece of metal tempered with the multiple hits of a hammer. Gradually, the feeling died down and the effect of the pill was done. Shi Li was covered in cold sweat after this experience and stood up as he touched his body.
He was surprised when he touched his skin. His skin felt so hard and thick, but when he looked at it, it looked as a smooth as a baby's butt. He then scraped his skin with a fingernail, but all it did was leave a white mark on his skin.
”Thanks to this pill, my skin has been compacted even further, putting me close to the peak of the Second Stage! But then I'm inside this space that has twice the density of world energy, so I might be closer than I think I am!” Shi Li was ecstatic.
He then grabbed the second pill, the Body Cleansing Pill, and swallowed it as well.
”I'll leave the Bone Hardening Pill for when I'm at the Bone Tempering real–aagh!”
In the midst of his planning, a painful sensation overtook his body, forcing him to clench his teeth once more. If the first pill made him feel like a piece of metal being hammered multiple times, then this pill made him feel like a squishy toy being squeezed to its limit.
The energy forced his skin to compress tightly, simulating a strong squeezing sensation all over his body. Gradually, black sediments were being released from the pores of his skin, turning his previously clean body into the embodiment of dirtiness.
After a while, Shi Li opened his eyes and looked at his body that was covered in grime. He exited the rift and went to his courtyard to take a bath.
Not long after, he looked at his body in front of a mirror and was shocked that his complexion looked better than before.
If you would compare Shi Li's complexion before and after taking the pill, think of the difference between an unpolished marble and a white jade, truly a huge gap!
Shi Li then did a set of basic movements and felt that every movement was smoother compared to before. He then moved on to the movements of his cultivation technique. Each consecutive movement made his aura more dense and more terrifying.